It will be noted hereinafter that the present invention relates to an article of footwear, and, more particularly, to shoes worn while riding bicycles.
Heretofore, it has been conventional practice to provide bicycle shoes with detachable soles, as indicated in U.S. Pat. No. 472,214, with soles of composite construction, as indicated in U.S. Pat. No. 468,223, and in flexible molded shoes having indentations therein as indicated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,114,981. Of course, it has been conventional practice to provide attachments for pedals of bicycles designed to retain the foot onto the pedal, as in U.S. Pat. No. 590,685 and 598,325.
Furthermore, it is well known among devotees of the sport of cycling that a cyclist's performance can be improved by the use of specially constructed bicycling shoes which have cleats attached to their bottom surfaces. The corresponding pedal structures of the bicycle typically engages the cleat to prevent undesired side-to-side or front-to-back motion of the shoe relative to the pedal and often includes a toe clip that sweeps over the top of the shoe. This arrangement allows the cyclist to pedal more vigorously without fear that his or her feet will become disengaged from the pedals and that time will be lost in regaining the proper position. The interlock between the cleat and the pedal permits the rider to thrust the pedal forward with great force along the top of the stroke and backward with greater force along the bottom of the stroke. When a toe clip is provided, it enables the rider to pull the pedal upwardly on the back half of the stroke as the opposite pedal is pushed downwardly. The improvement in speed and stamina that can be obtained in this way is substantial.
There are, however, disadvantages associated with cleated bicycling shoes that have prevented them from gaining wider acceptance. The cleats, which generally extend under the ball of the foot, make it difficult to walk in the shoes after the bicycle has been dismounted. When walking is unavoidable, the cleats may be worn or damaged and can easily deface floors and other surfaces. In addition, the cleats being small tend to catch or slip on hard surfaces and are therefore quite dangerous.
While the disadvantages of cleated bicycling shoes are not as significant an inconvenience to racers, they are a great problem to cyclists traveling long distances who wish to leave their bicycles at various points along the way. A particularly difficult problem is presented if the bicycle should break down, since walking long distances on the cleats is uncomfortable and sometimes impossible. Since cyclists wish to pack as little gear as possible, they generally object to the bulk and weight of an extra pair of shoes to be carried just for walking.